Propel scooter



Feb. 28, 1939. 0 K. WINDING PROPEL S COOTER Filed March 18, 1937INVEAZTQR. I new;

Ore lth f I v ATTORNEY.

Patented Feb. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The purpose of this invention is to provide improvements in scooters andthe like of the propel type.

The invention is an improvement over my prior Patent 2,076,804 in thatthe straight rack and gear are used without a bearing extending upwardfrom the treadle. The operating means is provided by levers below theupper surface of the treadle and the length of the stroke is increasedby leverage.

Many different arrangements have been designed for transferring themotion of a treadle to a forward action on the rear wheel, but the mostefilcient mechanism is where a straight rack travels horizontally over agear on a free running clutch which pulls the wheel forward and whichreleases the wheel on the backward movement,

and it has been found very difficult to operate this rack from the foottreadle without extending a 20 connection above the surface of thetreadle and such a connection is obviously in the way because it strikesthe child's legs and tears and wears the hose.

The object of the invention is, therefore, to im- 25 prove theconstruction of scooters of this type by using the straight rack andgear and operating the same by a series of levers under the treadle.

Another object is to provide suitable connections between a treadle anda gear rack through which the length of the movement or stroke may beincreased sufficiently to drive the scooter without unnecessarilymultiplying the actions of the treadle.

A further object is to provide driving means between the lower side of atreadle and a rack on a rear wheel which does not increase the size ofthe scooter.

And a still further object is to provide suitable means forconnectingthe foot treadle of a scooter to a gear rack and pinion withoutextending parts above the surface of the treadle which provides a simpleand economical construction.

With these ends in view the invention embodies 45 a scooter of the. typehaving a front and rear wheel, an underslung platform supported betweenthe wheels, a steering post with handle bars at the upper end extendingupward from the front wheel and pivotally attached to the forward end ofthe platform, a treadle pivotally mounted on theplatform, a free runningclutch on the rear wheel, a gear on said clutch, a rack meshing withsaid gear, levers connecting the treadle to the rack below the surfacethereof, a brake, and a bracket forming a stand which may be moveddownward to raise the rear wheel so that the device will stand byitself.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing description taken in connection with the drawing wherein: 5

Figure 1 is a view showing a side elevation of the scooter.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the rear end looking toward theopposite side of the scooter shown in Figure 1 and with the forward part1 omitted.

Figure 3 is an end View showing the rear wheel with the forward partomitted.

Figure 4 is a view showing a cross-section through the treadle.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the lever connecting the treadle to alever at the rear with the other parts of the scooter omitted.

In the drawing the scooter is shown as it may be made wherein numeral lindicates the platform, numeral 2 the treadle, numeral 3 the handlebars, and numerals 4 and 5 the front and rear wheels.

The platform I is suspended between the wheels with both ends curvedupward and the treadle 2 is mounted on the straight part thereof betweenthe wheels. The forward end of the platform is curved upward as shown atthe point 6 and the upper end ispivotally attached to a post I at thepoint 8. The post 1 is in the form of a yoke 0 which extends over thefront wheel 4 and the wheel is pivotally mounted therein. A mud guard 9may be provided over the wheel and may be attached to the post 1 and thelower part may be held by braces Ill. The handle bars 3 are mounted onthe upper end of the post and these may be of any type or design. A bellII is also shown on the upper end of the post.

The opposite end of the platform I curves upward as shown at the pointI2 and the wheel 5 is rotatably mounted on a shaft l3 extending throughthe sides of the platform. The ends of the sides extend upward beyondtheshaft l3 and the ends of a bracket M are pivotally mounted thereon bybolts I5 and I6 and a roller I1 is I mounted on the inner end of thebolt l6 which is positioned over a gear rack l8 that meshes with a gearH! on a clutch 20 on the shaft of the rear wheel. The bracket I4 isfrictionally held so that it may extend straight outward as shown in Figure 1 or it may be folded under the platform to the position indicatedby the dotted lines 2| shown in Figure 2; however, this bracket may beheld in any manner.

The inner end of the rack I8 is attached to a lever 22 at the point 23and the lever is pivotally mounted on a bar 24 through a pin 25. Thislever is connected by a bar 26, to which it is pivotally connected by apin 21, to one of the side plates 28 of the treadle 2 and it isconnected to the side plate by a pin 29 as shown. The treadle is formedwith another side plate 30 on the opposite side and the lower ends ofthe side plates are pivotally mounted on pins 3| in bearing plates 32extending downward from the sides of the platform as shown.

A brake 33 may also be pivotally mounted on a pin 34 between the rearpart of the platform audit will be noted that by pressing downward onthe upper end, the lower end will be forced in against the tire of therear wheel.

It will be understood that other changes may be made in the constructionwithout departing from the spirit of the invention, one of which changesmay be in the use of other means for connecting the treadle to the rackbelow the surface of the treadle; another may be in the use of theconnection shown in combination with a scooter or toy of any other typeand still another may be in the use of this, device in combination witha brake of any other type.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoingdescription:

Inuse thescooter may be used in the usual manner and it will be notedthat with both feet on the treadle and with the right foot positionedahead of the pivot point or fulcrum, and with the left foot positionedso that the ball of the foot is ahead of the fulcrum and the heel behindthe fulcrum the treadle may readily be moved upward and downward and theentire weight of the right foot and ball of'the left foot will beemployed in the forward stroke and the treadle will be raised orreturned by the heel of the left foot. This, therefore, makes itpossible to obtain the greatest power on the forward stroke and at thesame time eliminates any obstruction whatever on or around the treadle.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A scooter of the type having two aligned wheels, one at the front andone at the back, an underslung platform suspended below the centers ofthe wheels, and a handle pivotally attached to the forward end of theplatform and in which the front wheel is mounted; a treadle extendingacross the face of the platform whereby it will accommodate both feet ofthe operator, means pivotally mounting said treadle on said platform andspacing it a short distance therefrom, said means comprising membersextending downward at the sides of the platform and pivoted to theplatform, said pivot point being located slightly behind the center ofthe treadle, a rack, a toothed wheel on the rear wheel, a verticallypositioned lever, with the upper end pivotally attached to said rack,with the rack extending over and engaging the said toothed wheel, abearing extending downward from the lower part of said underslungplatform and in which the lower end of said vertically positioned leveris pivotally mounted, and a link pivotally attached to said lever at apoint substantially midway thereof, and with the opposite end pivotallyattached to one of the said members extending downward from the sides ofsaid treadle; said link actuating said vertically positioned lever asthe treadle moves about its pivot, thereby moving said rack backward andforward over said gear.

OVE K. WINDING.

